Poor public service triggers shutdown in South Africa township

Herman Mashaba, executive mayor of Johannesburg, South Africa’s commercial city for diamonds and gold industries, is under fire on Twitter after a big township under his jurisdiction was shutdown by its residents.

At the heart of the protests is what residents say is a lack of service delivery by the authorities. They are angry among others at the lack of collection of refuse piles and the mushrooming of what they say are illegal structures in the area.

People in the area are said to be in a running battle with police deployed to quell protests in Alexandria. Police have fired rubber bullets in areas to disperse the irate crowds.

Roads in most parts of the area have been blocked by protesters with burning of car tires in some sections. People have also massed up in particular parts of the streets as the police monitors to movements to avert further spreading of the incidents.

Aside the demands for the whereabouts of the Mayor Mashaba, the hashtag #AlexTotalShutdown is trending on South Africa’s Twitter space.

Politicians have also queued into the issue with the ruling Africa National Congress, ANC, slamming the main opposition Democratic Alliance, DA, who are in charge of Johannesburg.

National and provincial elections are due in early May and it is largely believed that this incident could weigh against the DA.